Tubing support

ABSTRACT

An arrangement for supporting tubing and the like on a base such as a vehicle frame includes a spring clip which is slid into place between the frame and a tongue struck out from the frame, the clip, frame and tongue defining a closed loop around the tubing. The clip has flanges which locate it laterally with respect to the tongue and a spur which engages the frame to hold it inserted.

United States Patent Inventor Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Homer J. Viers Flint, Mich.

Aug. 4, 1969 Feb. 23, 1971 General Motors Corporation Detroit, Mich.

TUBING SUPPORT 10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl.

Int. Cl Field of Search [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,278,691 4/1942 Cotter 248/73X 2,852,829 9/1958 Holton 24/73 3,113,75412/1963 131185011 24/81.3X FOREIGN PATENTS 709,926 6/1954 Great Britain24/813 Primary ExaminerChancellor E. Harris Attorneys- Paul Fitzpatrickand Jean L. Carpenter ABSTRACT: An arrangement for supporting tubing andthe like on a base such as a vehicle frame includes a spring clip whichis slid into place between the frame and a tongue struck out from theframe, the clip, frame and tongue defining a closed loop around thetubing. The clip has flanges which locate it laterally with respect tothe tongue and-a spur which engages the frame to hold it inserted.

TUBING SUPPORT My invention relates to supports for elongated memberssuch as piping, tubing, wiring, and the like, and is particularlysuitable for installations on automotive vehicle frame members althoughsuitable for other purposes. It also relates to a clip particularlysuited for retention of such elongated members on these plates.

The principal objects of my invention are to facilitate installation ofelongated members upon bases such as automobile chassis members, toprovide a readily installed clip which provides firm and positivesupport for such members, and to provide a combination of base plate andclip which provides a readily installed, positively retained, andreadily disassembled means for supporting runs of tubing and the like ona support.

The nature of my invention and its advantages willbe clear to thoseskilled in the art from the succeeding detailed description of thepreferred embodiment of the invention and the accompanying drawingsthereof.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a completed installation of tubing on avehicle frame.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the same taken on the plane indicated bythe line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FlG. 3 is a view of the same taken on the plane indicated by the line3-3 in FIG. 1. a

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating a step in the mountingof the clip on the base plate.

I-lG. Sis an axonometric view of theclip.

By way of introduction to the detailed description of the preferredinstallation, it may be pointed out that it involves a frame orsupporting plate which has a tongue struck from it and extending overthe surface of the plate and involves a generally U-shaped clip whichslides into place between the plate and the tongue to define a closedloop around tubing or other elongated members. The clip includes meansholding it in position but so that it may be removed, if desired,without special tools and may incorporate structure to provide a closefit on tubing of different diameters retained in the clip.

Such a device is becoming increasingly needed in view of increasingnumbers of tubes running from front to rear of automotive vehicles.

Referring to the drawings, a supportplate 6, which may specifically be aportion of the frame'of an automotive vehicle, has mounted on it so asto run along the frame a number of tubes 7, 8, 9, and 10. It will beappreciated that some of these could be wires, pipes, or other elongatedmembers; however, they will be referred to as tubes for conciseness.

The support plate 6 has a front surface 12 which may be the uppersurface, or may be a side surface or a lower surface, and has a rearsurface 14 opposite the front surface. The support plate 6 is punchedand formed in an operation which may be referred to as lancing toprovide an opening 15 and a tongue 16, the tongue being defined by allor, as illustrated, part of the material punched from the support platein punching the opening 15. The tongue extends from the front surface12of the plate and includes a terminal portion 18 which extends over'andgenerally parallel to the plate 6. The opening 15 has an edge 19opposite to the tongue 16,'and the ends of this edge may be radiused asindicated at 20.

The-plate 6 and tongue 16 define a seat or socket between them for aspring clip 24 made of spring steel or other suitable springy orresilient material. A metal clip as shown is preferred but, as will beapparent, the clip could also be made of suitable plastic material. Theclip 24 is generally of U-shape, having a first or base leg 25 whichrests against the surface 12 of plate 6 and straddles the opening 15,and a second or outer leg 26 which bears against the inner surface ofthe tongue portion 18. The legs are joined by a return bend at 28. Thefree end of the second leg is bent inwardly toward the first leg toprovide a ramp 21 which, as shown particularly in FIG. 4, facilitatesthe insertion of the clip into the socket.

To install the clip, the tubes 7 through 10 may be dropped into the openend of the clip,.after which the clip is inserted in a manner which willbe clearly apparent from FIG. 4 showing the beginning of the insertionandFlG. 1 showing the clip fully mounted in the seat. As the clip ispushed to the right as illustrated in FIG. 4, the ramp 21 compresses theclip so that the outer leg slides under the tongue portion 18 and theleg 25 slides'over the surface of the supportplate. A tang orspur 30struck from the base leg 25 slides over the support plate until the clipis in position, after which it bears against the edge 19 of the hole toprevent the clip from sliding back out of its seat.

V The lateral edges of the outer leg 26 bear outwardly extending flanges32 which engage the edges of the tongue portion 18 toguide the clip ininsertionand to hold it against movement perpendicular to the view ofFIG. lwhen it has been inserted.

Depending upon the installation and upon the proportions of the tubeswhich are to be mounted, it is in many cases desirable to particularlyadapt the clip for a snug fit against the tubes. As illustrated in thedrawing, the outer leg 26 is embossed to provide a ridge 34 on its innersurface which bears against the smaller tubes 7,18, and 9 and provideswith the in wardly curved ramp 21 a curved seat 35 which fits the tube10. Also, the base leg 25 is preferably embossed to provide a raisedsurface 36 down the center of the leg, this serving to provide slightlymore clearance between the tubes and the support plate. The embossments34 and 36 also stiffen the legs. Tubes can be installed after theclipv24 is in place as, for

example, the small tube 38 indicated in FIG. 1 which has been runthrough the space defined between the clip and its seat.

As will be seen, the tubes can easily be put into the clip, then theclip simply shoved into place in its seat. To remove the clip, it isonly necessary to lift outwardly on the return bend 28 to free the spur30 from the plate and then pull the clip from its seat. The convenience,economy, and adequacy of the arrangement will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art.

The detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the inventionfor the purpose of explaining the principles thereof is not to beconsidered-as limiting or restricting the invention, as manymodifications may be made by the exercise of skill in the art.

I claim:

1. An arrangement for supporting and retaining elongated members such aspiping, tubing, wiring, and the like comprising, in combination; a rigidsupport plate having an opening and a tongue extending out from theplate and over the opening in the plate generally parallel to thesurface of the plate; and a spring clip cooperating with the plate andtongue to define a closed loop to encircle the elongated members, theclip being generally of U-shape with a base leg and an outer leg,-thebase leg engaging the plate and bridging the said opening and the outerleg bearing against the tongue so that the legs are pressed toward eachother and resiliently bear against the plate and tongue, respectively,the clip being slidable into position between the plate and tongue, andmeans on the plate and clip positively retaining the clip in position.

2. An arrangement as recited in claim 1 in which the free end of theouter leg converges toward the base leg to define a ramp to facilitateentering the clip under the tongue.

3. An arrangement as recited in claim 1 in which the outer leg bearsoutwardly extending flanges adapted to bear against the sides of thetongue to block lateral displacement of the clip.

4. An arrangement as recited in claim 3 in which the free end of theouter leg converges toward the base leg to define a ramp to facilitateentering the clip under the tongue.

5. An arrangement as recited in claim 1 in which at least one leg has aninterior profile varying along its length to fit the gap between thelegs to elongated members of varying size.

6. An arrangement as recited in claim 1 in which the legs are embossedinwardly and lengthwise of the legs to stiffen the legs and providesurfaces engaging the elongated members.

7. An arrangement as recited in claim 1 in which the clip bears a spuron the base leg providing a detent against an edge of the opening toretain the clip in position.

8 A clip adapted for insertion into a seat defined between a supportplate and a tongue extending from and extending over and generallyparallel to the support plate and to define an encircling enclosure withthe seat for elongated members such as piping, tubing, wiring, and thelike, the clip being of resilient material in generally U-shape with twogenerally parallel legs joined by a return bend, the first leg beingadapted to rest upon the plate and the second leg being adapted to bearagainst the tongue, with the clip resiliently compressed so as to bearoutwardly against the plate and tongue, the second leg having a ramp atits free end to compress the clip upon insertion into the seat andbearing flanges at its lateral edges to bear against the edges of thetongue to guide the clip into the seat and hold it against lateralmovement when seated, the first leg including a spur slidable over theplate and adapted to bear against the edge of an opening in the plate tohold the clip against sliding from the seat.

9. A clip as recited in claim 8 in which at least one leg has aninterior profile varying along its length to fit the gap between thelegs to elongated members of varying size.

10. A clip as recited in claim 8 in which the legs are embossed inwardlyand lengthwise of the legs to stiffen the legs and provide surfacesengaging the elongated members.

1. An arrangement for supporting and retaining elongated members such aspiping, tubing, wiring, and the like comprising, in combination; a rigidsupport plate having an opening and a tongue extending out from theplate and over the opening in the plate generally parallel to thesurface of the plate; and a spring clip cooperating with the plate andtongue to define a closed loop to encircle the elongated members, theclip being generally of Ushape with a base leg and an outer leg, thebase leg engaging the plate and bridging the said opening and the outerleg bearing against the tongue so that the legs are pressed toward eachother and resilientlY bear against the plate and tongue, respectively,the clip being slidable into position between the plate and tongue, andmeans on the plate and clip positively retaining the clip in position.2. An arrangement as recited in claim 1 in which the free end of theouter leg converges toward the base leg to define a ramp to facilitateentering the clip under the tongue.
 3. An arrangement as recited inclaim 1 in which the outer leg bears outwardly extending flanges adaptedto bear against the sides of the tongue to block lateral displacement ofthe clip.
 4. An arrangement as recited in claim 3 in which the free endof the outer leg converges toward the base leg to define a ramp tofacilitate entering the clip under the tongue.
 5. An arrangement asrecited in claim 1 in which at least one leg has an interior profilevarying along its length to fit the gap between the legs to elongatedmembers of varying size.
 6. An arrangement as recited in claim 1 inwhich the legs are embossed inwardly and lengthwise of the legs tostiffen the legs and provide surfaces engaging the elongated members. 7.An arrangement as recited in claim 1 in which the clip bears a spur onthe base leg providing a detent against an edge of the opening to retainthe clip in position.
 8. A clip adapted for insertion into a seatdefined between a support plate and a tongue extending from andextending over and generally parallel to the support plate and to definean encircling enclosure with the seat for elongated members such aspiping, tubing, wiring, and the like, the clip being of resilientmaterial in generally U-shape with two generally parallel legs joined bya return bend, the first leg being adapted to rest upon the plate andthe second leg being adapted to bear against the tongue, with the clipresiliently compressed so as to bear outwardly against the plate andtongue, the second leg having a ramp at its free end to compress theclip upon insertion into the seat and bearing flanges at its lateraledges to bear against the edges of the tongue to guide the clip into theseat and hold it against lateral movement when seated, the first legincluding a spur slidable over the plate and adapted to bear against theedge of an opening in the plate to hold the clip against sliding fromthe seat.
 9. A clip as recited in claim 8 in which at least one leg hasan interior profile varying along its length to fit the gap between thelegs to elongated members of varying size.
 10. A clip as recited inclaim 8 in which the legs are embossed inwardly and lengthwise of thelegs to stiffen the legs and provide surfaces engaging the elongatedmembers.